Last year, Men’s Aid received 9,524 contacts and 91% of perpetrators of violence were women, reports The Mirror.
As of 2020, the outlook for support services has increased by over 70%.
The annual report released yesterday revealed an unprecedented level of domestic violence contacts with men helping.
Men’s Aid revealed that a total of 9,524 calls were made to the service last year, a significant increase from 8,000 calls to 1,524 in 2021.
The report emphasizes that one in four people who call a domestic violence support centre are first-time visitors to a domestic violence support centre and that men aged 18 to 90 are using the first-line support service, with representatives from 49 nationalities.
Men experience emotional, psychological, physical, financial and sexual abuse, revealing high levels of coercive control relationships. The offender’s stated gender was 91% female, 7% male and 2% both sexes.
Men’s Aid chief Kathrina Bentley said: “It is a welcomed increase as it illustrates that we are breaking down the silence, the stigma and the shame associated with men talking about domestic violence,” reports The Mirror.
“We care about the men who feel they have no way out of a controlling relationship, and we would encourage them to pick up the phone and call our confidential helpline team to speak in confidence about their situation. We know it’s not easy, the first step is often the hardest, however we know many men wish they had called us sooner. People need to be aware that Domestic Violence is at pandemic levels across Ireland and at Men’s Aid, our support service is available to empower and support men and their families,” she added, reports The Mirror.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.